There wasn't much point in setting the phone alarm for ten to seven. Both of us were awake before sunrise well before it was time to start the day. There were clouds but also sunshine after the sun emerged from the sea. Jorge the piscinero and Salvador-Jesús the taxista both arrived at half past seven. Jorge came to collect the house key I borrowed from him to give to Clare. We exchanged brief greetings, then I took the bags to the waiting car and forgot to collect a hat and the raincoat I intended to take with me to Cardiff. Still, the half hour after sunrise was enchantingly beautiful as we drove up to the A7.
Despite ten minutes worth of delays we arrived at Málaga airport Express Departures minutes before eight thirty. The check in counters had just opened and in ten minutes we were on our way through security. The new liquids in bags scanning facility is now working, so the throughput time is much improved. As I was depositing all my bits of kit in scanner trays, the lady helping people in the line I joined, noticed my cross and black shirt, and asked what I was. When I told her I was an Anglican priest she laughed and smiled and said jokingly "I could do with some help from God, with all the things that I get up to. Yet I'm always singing!" I told her I was Welsh and that we're all the same. She gave me a hug as I went to pass through the body scanner. That's never happened to me going through airport security before!
On the way to Departures we stopped for a drink and I bought myself another novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón at the libreria, entitled 'Marina', after one of its main characters. Like many other paperback Spanish novelas, it cost only ten euros. The plane arrived and we boarded efficiently. I couldn't help noticing two teachers shepherding a dozen teenage students on to the aircraft taking selfies as they went, and wondered what they'd be doing during their stay. The plane was parked way out, so the bus transfer trip was longer than usual, and the time taken to taxi to the take-off runway was just as lengthy. The home bound flight time is two and three quarter hours, about twenty five minutes longer than the outbound flight. The average amount of time in the air is much the same unless there's a head wind, so I guess the length of time from departure gate to take-off accounts for it.
I snoozed a while after take-off, then started reading my new book, and got through four chapters before touchdown. The new electronic passport gates at Arrivals seemed to be working efficiently today, despite news of systems failure at other UK airports. Just before out flight landed another arrived from Málaga, and the baggage from it appeared on the conveyor belt as we arrived at baggage reclaim. The heads up display indicated the status of both sets of flight baggage at belt A, and continued to say belt A for our flight when belt B started to move. I inspected one of the first bags off, and established that it was from our flight, so we waited ten minutes for Clare's bag, and were out of the arrivals hall heading for the pick up point just after half past one. Pretty good, about twenty minutes from 'plane to pick up. Ann found us easily and brought us back home, chatting all the way. Her mother Marlene wanted to come, but was still tired after travelling yesterday. She'll come with son-in-law Paul to see me off on Saturday, with lots of questions to ask. Retaining such curiosity about life and other people in your nineties is quite something.
There were few birthday cards to open when we got home, plus lots of year end statements that will be of use when I get around to filling in this year's tax return. Clare quickly whipped up a homecoming lunch, from her existing food stock. I went for a short walk on the lush thick carpet of daisy strewn grass in the park. The trees are now in full leaf, with an abundance of chestnut 'candle' blossom. Such a lush contrast to the austere Andalusian coastal landscape with its much darker greens. In the front garden, a pot with a lily in it. Over the winter and into spring it seemed almost dead, but yet again it's sprung back to life and good health, with eleven flowering shoots. Amazing vitality!
Then a visit to Tesco's for a few necessary groceries before supper and the Archers. We're both pretty tired after getting up at the equivalent of five thirty in Spain this morning, so it's very early bed for us tonight.
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